sumner



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1." W. J. SUMNER.

TROLLEY SUPPORT AND GUIDE FOR STEP LADDERS, &c. No 537,396. Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. J. SUMNER.

TROLLEY SUPPORT AND GUIDE FOR STEP LADDERS, a N0. 537,396. Patented APR-9, 1895.

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Wflbzesses W7 @i d M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. SUMNER, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE OOBURN TROLLEY TRACK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TROLLEY SUPPORT AND GUIDE FOR STEP-LADDERS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 537,396, dated April 9, 1895. Application filed October 17, 1894- Serial No. 526,163. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. SUMNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trolley Supports and Guides for Step-Ladders, &c., of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct improved trolley guides and carriers for stepladders which are designed to have a rolling engagement with a track which is in the form of a bar or rod, preferablyround, so that there can be no cramping or binding of the carrier relative to the track, even though the track may have its course deflected, or curved.

Another object of the invention is to attain the embodiment in the devices of constructions which are of great practicability and easily permit a high degree of mechanical excellence and easy assemblage.

The invention consists in constructions and combinations of parts, all substantial] y as will hereinafter fully appear and be set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,--Figure 1 is a side elevation of the trolley or carrier, shown as having its rolling engagement with the track and having connected therewith the upper part of the ladder. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section on a larger scale taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the carrier,--the track and ceiling from which the track is suspended appearing in vertical cross section. Fig. 4 is a plan view of'the parts shown in Fig. 1 with a portion of the track broken away.

The track, a, is round in cross section and is horizontally suspended from and below the ceiling, or other overhead support, by the pendent brackets, b. Each bracket consists of the bearing and attachment lugs, b 19 (through which to screw and support the bracket to the ceiling) and the downwardly converging portions, b b which merge into the narrow lower extremity, if, of the pendant. A long screw, cl, passes vertically and transversely through the track and through the narrow part of the bracket upwardly between the portions, b b thereof and with a considerable extent of penetration into the ceiling.

The trolley or carrier is represented by A, and comprises the longitudinal bar, B, the cross-bars, O, O, at the ends of the bar, B, each with the upstanding studs or journals, f, f, on which are mounted the rollers, g, g, which rotate in horizontal planes and which have flanges, g 9 to overlie and engage the upper portions of the track, a.

Each horizontal cross-bar, (J, which carries the upstanding journal-studs for the rollers, g, g, is, by the headed bolt and nut seen at e, so connected upon the extremity of the bar, B, that it may have a swinging or swiveling movement in a horizontal plane, although as will be more readily apparent, hereinafter, such movement, whenever itmay be required, will be but slight in degree.

Each upstanding stud, f, which is firmly set into the extremity of its supporting cross-bar, C, has, as is clearly seen in Fig. 2, the shoulder, 10, at a short distance above its bottom, also a shoulder, 12, at quite a distance above the shoulder, 10; and near its upper extremity it is screw-threaded, as seen at 13. A ring, h, is set down over thestud, f, to a rest upon the shoulder, 10, thereby constituting in substance a sufficiently broad flange, or shoulder surrounding the stud. This annular part, h,

. has in its upper side the concentric annular groove, 14, which forms the raceway for the balls, 2', which are comprised between said part, it, and the under side of the roller, g, in which there is also the annular concentric ball-groove, 15. v

The depths of the ball-grooves, 14, 15, are together less than the diameter of the balls, so that the faces of parts, g and h, are not permitted to come in contact the one with the other. It will be seen that the roller, g, has also within its upper side the annular ballgroove, 16, between which and the ring, j, are the balls, '6 said ring, j, having Within its under side the annular ball-groove, 17. This ring, 11, sets down upon the aforementioned shoulder, 12, and is held against displacement by the nut, 70. I

Each roller, g, as seen in Fig. 2, has its central opening, I, considerably larger than the diameter of the upstanding stud, f, which it surrounds, and thus being without frictional. engagement with thestud, it derives its entire supporting and guiding contact fronrthe two sets of balls, i, F. The rollers are journaled at such distances apart that they have a free rolling engagement sidewise upon the track, a.

The bar, B, has the extremities thereof turned or twisted a quarter Way round from the intermediate portion, 771, which latter stands vertically edgewise, so that the said extremities are properly horizontal to properly support and receive connection with the horizontal cross-bars, O, O, as shown.

The step-ladder is indicated at G, Fig. 1, of which 00, represents the uppermost step, and the connection of the ladder with the bar, B, which is in the longitudinal median plane of the trolley and of the track is effected by the means of the part shown at H, which consists of the base-plate, 25, having the separated upstanding ear-pieces, mu, and the central vertical depending stud, w. passes downwardly through the perforation therefor in the ladder step, at, and receives the screw engagement on the lower end thereof of the nut, or nuts, y. The upstanding ear-pieces, u, to, embrace the intermediate edgewise vertical portion, m, of the bar, B, and have their engagement therewith by the cross-pin, or bolt, 2. Thus the ladder may have adegree of swinging movement relative to the trolley in the longitudinal plane thereof, and as the trolley as a whole may have an oscillation or revoluble movement about the track, a, the ladder becomes the better accommodated for its easy movements and changes of position; and the aforementioned capability of the horizontal cross-bars, O, O, for swinging movements relative to the bar, B, and each independently of the other, insures a more easy running of the trolley on the track, especially where the track has a deflected course, as, for instance, where it rounds a corner.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a step-ladder and trolley therefor, a longitudinal member having horizontal crossbars supported at the ends thereof, each provided with paired rollers mounted axially vertical in opposition for rotation in horizontal planes, and the ladder connected to an intermediate portion of the said longitudinal member, substantially as described.

2. In a trolley, a horizontal longitudinal member and the horizontal cross-bars, O, C, having their middle portions jointed to the extremities of the longitudinal member for horizontal swinging movements, and each bar, 0, having the axially Vertical rollersjournaled in opposition thereon, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a trolley-track which consists of a single horizontally supported bar, of a trolley comprising the longitudinal member, B, and the horizontal crossbars supported at the ends thereof and each The said stud, w,

provided with paired rollers, mounted axially vertically thereon in opposition, which are widened or flanged at their upper portions and which bear sidewise against the said track-bar with their flanges extending over upper portions thereof, substantially as described.

4. The trolley comprising the horizontal longitudinal member, B, the transverse horizontal bars, 0, C, which intermediately thereof are pivotally connected to the member, B, for horizontal swinging movements and each having the paired axially vertical opposing rollers, g, g, and the part, H, united to an intermediate portion of member, 13, by a horizontal pivot bolt, which is adapted to receive the connection therewith of theladder orlike part which is to be trolley-guided, substantially as described.

5. A trolley comprising a transverse horizontal bar, C, with upstanding journals on which are mounted a pair of rollers for rotation in a horizontal plane and which rollers are widened or flanged at their upper part, substantially as described.

6. A trolley comprising a horizontal bar, 0, having the two upstanding studs, f, f, each with a flange or shoulder at a lower portion with the concentric groove, 14, the roller, g, having a concentric groove, 13, in its under face, and a like groove, 16, in its upper face, the two sets of balls, '0', t the ring, j, with the groove, 17, and means for holding it against displacement on the upper extremity of the stud, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the trolley-track, a, which consists of a single bar or rod, the supporting bracket which comprises upper attachment lugs, b and the downwardly converging and joining portions, 19 ,19 and thelong screw transversely penetrating both the track and the united meeting portions of the members, b and entering the overhead support, of a trolley comprising one or more pairs of upstanding transversely opposite and axially vertical rollers the upper portions of which are widened or flanged and which engage the single trolley-track, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a trolley track which consists of a single horizontally supported bar, of a trolley which comprises a body with which the ladder or like object may have its guiding or supporting engagement and which body is equipped with opposing rollers which project above it, and which are vertically journaled and formed with their upper portions widened or flanged, substantially as described.

9. A trolley comprising longitudinal bar, 13, with horizontal end portions, and edgewise vertical intermediate portion, m, the crossbars, 0, O, which have the upstanding journals on which are the rollers, g, g, in combination with the attachment part for the 1adder comprising the upstanding ear-pieces, u,

u, and the transversely connected bolt, 2, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a step ladder and the trolley-track, or rod, a, of the part, H, comprising base-plate, t, upstanding earpieces, u, u, and the depending stud, w, passing through and protruding below a perforation in the top step of the ladder, a nut to screw upon said protruding portion of the stud against the under side of the ladder-step, the tro1ley comprising the longitudinal horizontal bar, B, which has its intermediate portion embraced by, and pivoted to, said earpieces, u, u, and the horizontal cross-bars, C, 0, provided with the upstanding journals on which are mounted the opposing pairs of rollers, g, g, substantially as described.

WILLIAM J. SUMNER.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLOWS, K. I. CLEMONS. 

